


i have written you down, now you will live forever

by intertwiningwords



Category: Tiny Meat Gang (Band)
Genre: AU, Author Noel, M/M, Meet-Cute, yeah i dont even know what else to tag this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-02 13:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20276560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intertwiningwords/pseuds/intertwiningwords
Summary: noel is an author and cody is a fan who delivers his groceries.





	i have written you down, now you will live forever

**Author's Note:**

> title insp - poet by bastille
> 
> this au is inspired by that tumblr post by elonfuckmywife of all the aus that people should write and one of them was about noel being an author and cody delivering his groceries but i cant find the post so just trust me on it
> 
> also disclaimer that cody and noel are real ppl and i respect them and aleena, kelsey, etc. and please don't go around sending them links to these fics or anything, this is just for fun, if they ever say they're uncomfortable with it i will gladly delete these, all that jazz.
> 
> ok, enjoy!!

Programming alone was usually good money, but with the ever-changing wave of technology and coding, Cody was laid off to be replaced by some young computer-whiz with newer skills, leaving him desperate for some extra cash on top of what he made off his steadily-growing YouTube channel.

So, that need for cash had led him to a local grocery store in L.A. to be a delivery guy in the mornings, and then he worked at a coffee shop in the afternoons and did programming commissions, all on top of YouTube.

To say that he was swamped would be an understatement. Thankfully, he had Devon and Marcus as roommates, otherwise, his rent and bills would have him drowning.

Of those jobs, the delivery one was actually his favorite, as it was just driving, listening to his own music, and required the least social interaction. Although there was the horrific L.A. traffic, he was used to that anyway.

Some clients just had him leave it on the stoop (no tip), although some answered the door (but still didn’t tip). One client though, he  _ always _ answered the door, dark circles beneath green eyes and the lingering scent of weed pooling through the slim crack in the door.

“Thanks, man,” he said every single time, slipping a ten-dollar-bill into Cody’s hand with a quick flash of a barely-there smile.

Cody would offer him a smile just as fast, and mumble a quick, “No worries, have a good day!”, half his sentence coming out after the door had already shut.

However, that millisecond-long glance of the client, Noel Miller, or so the name on the package read anyway, was enough for Cody to instantly recognize his face in an interview while flipping channels.

It was some news channel talking about a new book he’s published, a sort of dark-comedy based novel about a Japanese girl murdering the sexist men who pursued her, entitled  _ Suki _ .

Miller was clearly a bit nervous, fiddling with his hands in his lap as he talked, eyes flickering between the interviewer, the camera, and the floor; those same green eyes that Cody had slowly gotten to know through a crack in the door.

And holy shit, he was  _ way _ better looking than Cody had expected, seeing his entire face in good lighting. His skin was tan, a light scruff covering his cheeks and chin, plump pink lips and thick black lashes.

And fuck, he was hot, Cody concluded in his mind.

He felt his face go a bit pink when he realized just _ how _ attracted to this client/author he seemed to be.

“Why are you watching the news?” Devon asked as he walked into the living room, shirtless and barefoot as if he was coming from the beach rather than his bedroom.

“Just flipping,” Cody replied quickly, changing the channel to some random football game that he certainly was  _ not _ going to watch.

Devon shot him an odd look as he went off to the kitchen, but didn’t press the issue further.

Once his roommates had left him alone again, Cody flipped back, only to see that the interview with famous author Noel Miller had ended.

Well, perhaps there was a better way to get to know him.

***

Cody wasn’t much of a reader, especially with his limited free time, but he went to a local bookstore and blew his last paycheck on Noel’s books, the three he had published so far.

They were thin paperbacks with cool cover art, and Cody actually read through the first one in a few hours between beginning to program a website for an old school friend and editing a new YouTube video.

His writing style was like a movie, forming a picture in your mind with words that flowed across the page beautifully. And they were  _ funny _ , too. Cody couldn’t think of a time when a book had made him laugh out loud before, and yet, Noel Miller had managed to make him look insane, laughing down at a book in his lap on the couch.

Devon and Marcus teased him endlessly about his new interest in reading, reading lines dramatically over his shoulder and calling him a nerd, geek, dork, etc.

Cody would be lying if he said he didn’t love his stupid roommates.

***

“Thanks, man,” the voice through the door said, slipping the usual tip through.

“Excuse me, Mr. Miller?” Cody blurted, suddenly much more formal than his employee polo implied he would be.

The hand paused, his eyes momentarily widening in surprise. “Yeah?”

“I don’t mean to be inappropriate or anything but I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy your books.”

Noel’s face softened. “Oh! Uh, thanks, man. I appreciate that. No need to be so formal, call me Noel.”

“Okay, um, Noel. I’m Cody.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

Noel pointed to Cody’s chest. “It says on your shirt.”

He looked down and chuckled, feeling his cheeks growing pink. “Oh, right. I forgot about that.”

The author smiled, a genuine sort of smile, eyes twinkling. “Well, it was nice to chat with you, Cody. I’m actually working on ideas for a new book right now, so I’ve gotta get back before the creative juices dry up, you feel?”

“Yeah, I totally understand! Sorry to bother you,” Cody replied.

“No worries, I appreciate it, really. Maybe sometime after your shift, you could, uh...Help me brainstorm?”

If he’d been feeling embarrassed before, that was the cherry on top of the cake that turned Cody’s face just as red as that metaphorical cherry would be. “I...Really?”

“Yeah. Maybe next week, if you’re down?”

“That’d be awesome.”

Noel smiled again, and it made Cody’s heart flutter. “See you next week then, Cody.”

“Yeah, see you.”

Cody all but skipped back to his car.

***

For such a popular author, Noel’s house didn’t show it one bit.

He lived modestly, or, more modest than you would expect, anyway. Cody looked around for the framed certificates, sterling silver, modern art displays, etc., and was met mostly with Polaroid photos hung like picture frames, a dope computer setup, and a comfy couch that looked as though it had seen better days.

Oh, and a ridiculously adorable little dog named Ollie, who was not the biggest fan of Cody, barking at the sight of him.

“Sorry about him, he doesn’t like strangers,” Noel said, easily scooping the little dog up in his arms and scratching behind his ear.

“No worries,” Cody replied. His allergies would probably thank him for not petting it anyway.

“So, you know what I do to afford this luxurious L.A. lifestyle...But what do you do, besides deliver my groceries?”

“A mix of things. I used to be a programmer at Fullscreen, but now I mostly do it freelance. And then I started doing the grocery thing for something more stable. I, uh, also kind of do comedy stuff.”

Noel sat down on the couch, letting Ollie curl up in his lap. He gestured for Cody to have a seat as well. “Comedy, eh? I used to do stand-up. Harrowing, amiright?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, it is. I mostly do it on YouTube now, since I don’t have much time to go do sets.”

“That’s pretty cool. I used to do comedy too, before I took up writing.”

“Really? I mean, I’m not surprised cause your books are fuckin’ funny.”

Noel laughed. “Thanks.”

“So, uh...What exactly did you invite me over to talk about?” Cody asked, fiddling with his hands in his lap.

“Oh. That was honestly just an excuse to get you over,” Noel replied, seeming shy for the first time.

Cody tilted his head to the side. “Huh?”

A sigh. “I thought you were cute, that’s why I invited you over.”

Eyes widening, it seemed to dawn on Cody. “Oh...Well, I’m glad you did.”

And, so, it went on from there. Dinner dates, movie nights, their first slightly-tipsy kiss in the back of an Uber, and soon, the author and the programmer/YouTuber/delivery boy found themselves in a steady relationship.

***

“So, Noel, your new novel is about a struggling comedian working several jobs, pursuing his passion, and falling for the bartender at the club he performs at. How did you get inspiration for a story that’s so different than your usual works?”

Noel shifted in his seat. “Well, when I first started writing the book, I had a very different idea of where I wanted it to go. Then, when I got together with my partner...He has a very positive outlook on things that made me want to explore writing a happier story instead of taking it in a dark direction.”

The interviewer smiled. “Well, that’s very sweet. How long have you two been together?”

“We’re about to hit our one year anniversary,” Noel replied. “I’m a lucky guy.”

Cody watched the interview from off-stage, cheeks flushed slightly and a hopeless grin on his face. If anything, he was the lucky one.


End file.
